


Five Hearts

by taichara



Category: Machine City Knights - Erin A. Bisson
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-18
Updated: 2014-07-18
Packaged: 2018-02-09 08:58:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1976892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of five MCK drabbles, for Table One from <a href="http://luxken27.dreamwidth.org/748151.html">Luxken27's Summer Mini Challenge</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Burning Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Sunset peach

One step; two, to the left, turn; extend that motion, ease into another smooth arc; another; brace, block, two steps, back, forward again …

The sound of his footwork on the glassy surface of his private aeropad was as soothing to Pax as the controlled motions of his swordwork as he cycled through the stances.

Air cycled slowly through his system, in time with each cut and glittering arc; the sunset’s thousand colours washed over him, turned the plasma of his blade, his curls, the rough glass beneath his feet to dark amber fire.

In that fire, he could finally breathe.


	2. One wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hope

If anyone had asked Kilroy, before everything had changed, if he believed in something beyond – some existence outside of the physical and the virtual – he would have laughed in that poor soul’s face.

No, it was life that he believed in. No sense in justifying misery now for some ‘reward’ that could never be proven to exist. People deserved good here in the now.

In the dimness, coat billowed around him, an antique rapier cradled between his knees; hands on hilt, chin on pommel-nut; he still believed so.

But if that blade’s owner could only truly be at peace …


	3. Bait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Tempt

“You’re kidding.”

Apropos of nothing at all, Eleni had the thought that Halcyon’s tawny spottiness matched her old speckled couch rather well. Of course, by keeping attention their wings she was oh-so-innocently not looking at their face ~

Not, at least, until Halcyon tossed a sock at her face.

“There’s no way you wrangled us matching leave, El. I damn well disbelieve it.”

Halcyon snorted; Eleni put on her brightest, most innocent look.

“Want to put a bet on it, then? Mm? Or I could cancel, if you don’t want to bite ~”

“You –“

This time the sock connected.


	4. The Daily Grind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Saucy

“You know exactly what buttons you’re pushing, don’t you?”

Despite the chaos all around them, Eleni’s voice held a note of clear amusement.

Ignoring her baiting tone, and the incredulous stare from the next Gendarme in press, Kilroy smiled serenely back at her. He sidestepped an attempt to corral him; waved encouragement to the chanting, placard-waving bodies; then disappeared into the milling horde. Eleni blinked.

_Where did you hare off to now, old man?_

“Over here, officer ~”

A flash of mismatched colour and rusted grey shag on the statue in the square. Kilroy.

“People! Listen to me --!”


	5. Ghosts That Haunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Fearfully

_* the world was scarlet, the word was crimson, the was no end there was nothing *_

_* they were gone, dead at his feet and there was nothing, nothing he could *_

A scream, low and agonized, choked in his throat. Hauyne jerked upright, shaking, sweat-soaked – the sheets clinging to him like a sodden shroud.

_That … again. Why now? I haven’t seen that clearly in …_

_Why?_

With a shaking hand he scraped at his face, fumbled at the frosted block of his night-table for the visor that hid all.

Never again.

He would never allow it again.


End file.
